


Home is Wherever I'm With You

by morsly



Category: Dancing with the Stars (US) RPF, Figure Skating RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-04 08:15:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1772050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morsly/pseuds/morsly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of non-chronological Maksyl oneshots that are in the same universe as my drabbles on my blog and or maksylfic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We start just over four years from now...

**August 2016**

He turned his key in the lock and opened the door to their two bedroom, Upper West Side apartment. He closed the door behind him and peeked into the kitchen. This morning’s coffee was still in the pot, and the scrambled eggs he made for her were untouched on the counter. “Meryl?” He tried not to let worry creep into his voice.

He walked through the living room, throwing his duffle onto the couch, and made his way into their bedroom. “Babe?”

He heard a groan from the bathroom and walked towards the door that stood slightly ajar. “Oh, Meryl.” He sighed and walked in. “It looks like a crime scene in here." Maks took in the setting. His wife was laying on the floor in the fetal position, hair messily thrown on top of her head, wearing his sweatpants and a Michigan Wolverines hoodie. There were little bits of toilet paper on the ground that she had obviously been picking, trying to get her mind off her discomfort, and her laptop was resting up against the toilet, where a muted episode of Grey’s Anatomy was playing.

He leaned down and moved loose strands hair off of her face. ”Have you been like this all day?”

She lifted herself off the floor and nodded. She was incredibly pale.

He knelt down to her. “Why didn’t you call me?” He ran fingers down her cheek.

She attempted a watery smile. “I didn’t think it was bad enough to warrant that.”

“Baby, this seems pretty bad,” He kissed her forehead and helped her get up, sitting her on the toilet cover as he turned to the bath, trying to make the water temperature as comfortable as possible. He took off his own shirt and pants before turning to her. “Arms up.” She obeyed, and he pulled the sweatshirt over her head. She was wearing nothing underneath, and she quickly tried to cover herself up to block out the cold. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to try and generate heat as he helped her up.

His sweats basically fell off her hips, and he finished stripping so he could get in the water first. He lowered himself into the bath and pulled her along with him, sitting her between his legs so that her bare back was facing him. He cupped the warm water in his hands and let it go at her shoulders, his fingers running down her skin with the water. Her head rested forward. “That feels heavenly.” He pulled her shoulders back so her body rested against his. “Nine weeks, is that enough for maybe a little bump?” She felt his hand rest on her lower stomach. “I don’t think you can tell just by feeling.”

He kissed her shoulder. “I know your body well. I can tell by feeling.”

“Is there one there?”

“It’s small, but it’s there.” She felt him smile into her hair. “Are you still queasy?”

“Now that it’s six in the evening? No, but I still feel awful. And the queasiness didn’t stop until around three. Morning sickness, my ass.”

“At least be glad it’s not while you’re in school.” He was rubbing circles on her hips and thighs.

“I am. It’s a good thing graduate students get summer vacation too.”

“It that just a Columbia thing, or?”

“No, babe, I think that’s a school thing.” She wrapped his arms around her middle.

He saw goosebumps rise on the skin of her forearms. “Are you ready to get out?”

She smiled. “I’m ready for the water to get warmer.”

He kissed the side of her head and sat up, bringing her with her. She turned towards him and gave him her hands. They stood up together. He reached to the shelf to grab a towel, wrapping it around her shoulders and kissing her nose. She scrunched up her face in response. He grabbed another towel and wrapped it around his waist. To her giggle, he picked her up bridal style and carried her into the bedroom, sitting her on the bed.

He went to their shared dresser. “Do you want Meryl clothes or Maks clothes?”

“Is that even a question?”

He smiled and went into his loungewear drawer, pulling out a clean pair of sweatpants for her and a pair of basketball shorts for himself. It was August in New York City, after all. He got out two plain black tshirts and laid them on the bed. She stood up, still clutching the towel, and pulled the pants on under. “This isn’t summer camp, Meryl. You are my wife.” He smiled and tugged the towel from her hands.

“It’s cold!” She quickly pulled her shirt on.

“Only to you, babe.” He quickly got dressed. “Now Meryl,” he sat on their bed and pulled her onto his lap. “Judging by the eggs still on the counter, you haven’t eaten anything today.”

She rested her head in the crook of his neck. “I drank milk and Sprite, not at the same time, and ate oyster crackers.” She picked her head up to look him in the eye. “Maks, I could barely leave the bathroom.”

He kissed her forehead. “I know, baby. I’m sorry. If I could do it all for you, I could.” She smiled. “But the most I can do is make sure you eat more than crackers. Come on.” He patted her thigh and she got up. He held her hand as he led her to the kitchen, sitting her down at the bar that looked over the tiny little thing in their tiny little apartment. Maks filled up the tea kettle at the sink and put it on the stovetop.

“Are you sure we should extend our lease?” A newborn in Manhattan was not something Meryl was looking forward to.

Maks pulled out a mug and the teabags from a cabinet. “We’ve had this discussion, and we made a decision.” He tore the packet and put the bag in the mug. “We are staying in Manhattan until you finish your masters.” The kettle started to whistle, and he quickly turned off the burner, poured the water, and handed her the mug.

She looked at the tag and made a face. “Green, really? No peppermint or anything?”

He leaned against the counter to look at her. “I thought all you could keep down was Sprite and oyster crackers.” She shrugged and took a sip, making another face. He took the mug from her. “Okay, I’ll put some honey in it. And how about some plain pasta? Sliced turkey?”

“I’m not allowed to have cold cuts.”

“No cold cuts.” He knelt down to pick up a pot from a cabinet. He turned to the sink (the kitchen really was that small), to fill it with water. “No sushi.”

“But basically everything else!”

“You won’t eat anything right now.” He added some olive oil to the water and put it on the stove.

“This part doesn’t last forever. Come September, I’ll get to grow big and fat.”

“Meryl, you’ll never be fat.” He picked up two boxes. “Penne or ziti?”

“Penne, and I really don’t mind. It’ll be a nice change.”

He put down the box of pasta. “Oy vey iz mir!”

“Don’t speak Yiddish to me, my little shayna punim!”

“That’s not an insult, babe.”

She smiled. “I know.”

\--

When they had finished their bland and unprovoking meal, they curled up on the sofa to read together, something they liked to do when they stayed in, which had been happening a lot more recently. Maks went to the stereo and turned on a favorite: Clair de Lune. As the opening notes wafted through the air, he settled back into Meryl’s makeshift cocoon.

After a good 10 minutes, Meryl took a break from her book to watch the sun set over the Hudson River, perks of living on the far end of the Upper West Side. Her voice was small as she spoke. “If tomorrow is how today was...”

He kissed her hair. “You need to call me, then.”

“Kay.” He put his book down to wrap his arms around her.

“Can you imagine, that in 7 short months, there will be a baby here too?”

She smiled and tried with all her might to use her mind to glue herself to him, to this moment. “I can’t wait.”

He tilted her face up towards his and kissed her slowly. She felt the last rays of sun tickle her cheeks, and she knew she was home.


	2. Chapter 2

**March 2017**

 

Paul and Cheryl had not had true quality time with their brand new granddaughter, and they were kind of pissed about it.  They were so upset that they insisted on flying Meryl, Maks, and Sofia out to Michigan at the end of March.

They saw Sofia when she was first born, a few days before Christmas, but they had to fly home for the holiday.  Paul then had a hip replacement surgery, which would have prevented them from visiting for a solid six months (his recovery had a few bumps and bruises).  They would have flown them out in February, but the new parents put their figurative foot down.  Their two month old baby would not be flying.  Not to mention, Meryl had to make some appearance in PyeongChang.  She made the 15 hour flight, stayed for the ice dancing, and flew home, unable to be away from Sofia for that long.

They were overwhelmed, still trying to figure out a solid schedule with their baby, and not happy about being flown out against their will to Michigan.  But they understood the days with Sofia being this little were numbered, so they swallowed their pride (and sanity), and decided to make the trip.  They needed a break from having a baby in the middle of Manhattan anyways.  Strollers and sky rises didn’t really get along.

The morning they were supposed to leave, Maks got up half an hour before Sofia’s first feeding of the day.  He showered and made sure he was completely packed before rubbing his hand under his wife’s UofM sweatshirt to wake her up.  She groaned and turned away from him.  He knelt down onto the edge of the bed and kissed the little bit of her shoulder that the oversized sweatshirt had fallen off of.  “Baby, you gotta feed our baby.”

“Bring her to me.”  Her voice was very much still asleep.

Maks walked the few steps to the second bedroom in their tiny apartment.  He looked into the crib and saw his tiny, perfect daughter, a patch of dark hair on her head, breathing steadily.  “Oh, I hate that I have to do this.”  He picked her up and held her against his chest, preemptively reacting to the fact that she would start to cry when being woken up.  Sure enough, when he started to walk away from the crib, her peaceful face turned sour, and she began to cry.

“Shh, baby, shh.”  He bounced and rocked her all the way back to their bedroom, where his wife was sitting up in bed, sweatshirt still falling off one shoulder.  She smiled slightly and made grabby hands towards her crying infant.  Maks handed her Sofia and climbed onto the bed, pulled Meryl up against him as she fed their baby.  

He whispered into her hair.  “A plane ride with our three month old.”

“She’s very well behaved.”  Meryl leaned down to kiss Sofia’s tiny head.  “Is everything packed?”

“Everything but the diaper bag and your toiletries.  Is she almost done?  I can burp her and you can shower.”

“I think so.”  Sofia turned her face away from her mother and Meryl smiled, scooting away from Maks so she could hand the baby to him.  She handed him a burp cloth from her night table as she hopped off the bed, heading to the shower.

\--

Getting to the airport wasn’t too difficult.  Sofia slept the entire drive, and Meryl mentally checked off every list she had kept leading up to this trip.  Winter clothes were a must.  The days in New York had maintained a balmy 60, but Cheryl had texted Meryl that Michigan had been lucky to get over freezing.  They had all dressed accordingly, Meryl in a form fitting maroon sweater with jeans and her Ralph Lauren riding boots, Maks almost matching except his sweater was cream colored and his boots not of the riding variety, and Sofia in an adorable sweater dress and baby tights.  Dressing their daughter was something Meryl and Maks found to really enjoy.  She looked back in the rear view mirror at her wide eyed baby.  Three months was proving to be the age where Sofia was beginning to form a personality.  They loved it.

Their time at the airport was a little less smooth.  Sofia needed feeding, and Meryl was not comfortable doing it in such a public place.  She undoubtedly thought that woman should have the ability to do it in public, but she liked having Sofia’s be private, just between her family.  Luckily, their first class boarding room was completely empty.  Maks helped her adjust the blanket to cover her, in case someone did walk in.  “Babe, this is why you should have pumped.”

“We can’t take more than six ounces in a carry on, Maks.”  She rested her head against her husband’s shoulder.

“You rarely pump more than that, Meryl, and I could have figured a way around that.”

“I don’t think you can bribe the TSA.”

“Fine.”  He wrapped an arm around her.  Meryl felt Sofia finish, and she handed the baby to Maks, trying to re clothe herself under the blanket.  “Do you want to burp her, or?”  Meryl reached into the diaper bag for a burp cloth, handing it to him to answer his question.

“I’ll be right back.”  She stood up kissed her baby’s head before leaving the room.  She first went to the bathroom, where she was startled at how she looked under the flourescent lighting.  Her face was pale and tired looking, standing out against her hair that had grown thicker while she was pregnant.  She had a little more flesh than before Sofia, and her breasts were definitely fuller.  She pulled up the sleeves of her sweater, washing her hands and trying to ignore how worn out she looked.  Yes, she felt worn out, but she also felt completely content.

Luckily there was a Starbucks right by their terminal, so Meryl got two coffees, one with cream and sugar, before going back to their VIP room.  Maks was quickly trying to gather all their carry ons.  “They just called our flight to board.”

“Maks, we’re flying first class.  We don’t have to rush.”  She handed him the coffee and he looked at her appreciatively.

“I think we freak out whenever the other one of us isn’t there, no matter how short of time.”

Meryl nodded and picked up her Prada bag and Sofia’s carrier.  “Well, then it’s a good thing neither of us ever plan on leaving.”

He put an arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him.  “I love you very much.”  He kissed her sweetly.

She smiled and looked up at him.  “I love you very very much.”

He kissed her forehead, grabbed her hand, and led her to board their flight.

\--

In Michigan, Paul and Cheryl met them at baggage claim, ignoring Maks and Meryl and going straight for Sofia.  “Oh my goodness, look how much you’ve grown up!”

“Nice to see you too, mom.”  Meryl accepted her suitcase from Maks who had grabbed them off the carrier.  The grandparents led everyone to the parking lot.  Cheryl held Sofia in her arms.  “You guys got a new car!”  Meryl was in awe of the big black shiny thing Maks and Paul were loading their luggage into.

“For all the grandchildren,”  Cheryl explained.

“You only have one grandchild right now.”  Meryl helped her mother secure the carrier into the backseat.

“Not for long, Meryl.  Clayton and Kimberly are getting pretty serious, and before you know it, it’ll be time for you guys to have another!”

Meryl met Maks’s eyes, and they tried to maintain their smiles.  Cheryl insisted on sitting in the back with Sofia, offering Maks the front seat.  Being Maks, he insisted his wife take it.  

On the ride home, Meryl realized that she wanted nothing more than a nice nap.  Maks felt the same way, texting _Quiet time later, no?_ from the backseat.  She couldn’t agree more.  But all her dreams of a nice cuddle with her husband and baby were shattered when they pulled into the driveway and saw Charlie and Tanith’s car parked outside the house.

“Surprise!”  Cheryl was maybe too excited.  “We knew you hadn’t seen baby Alex in person since he was born, so we invited them over for the afternoon and dinner!”

“Wow, thanks mom.”  Meryl felt the tone of her reply might have shown a little of her dismay.

They piled out of the car.  Meryl left her husband to take care of the luggage and her parents to take care of their baby.  She opened the door to her childhood home and took a deep breathe.  It smelled like chocolate chip cookies and snow, just like it always did.  “Meryl?”  She heard Charlie call from the living room.

“We made it!”  Yes, she was tired, but it she had missed Charlie.  She made her way through the kitchen to the den, seeing him and his wife playing with an eight month old Alex on the floor.  Everyone was all blonde hair, blue eyes, and smiles.  Charlie lept up immediately and wrapped his arms around his partner.  He let go and she moved to hug Tanith, who had stood up with Alex on her hip.  “He is just too adorable!”

“And here’s the other little one!”  Cheryl walked in with Sofia’s carrier, setting it on the floor.  Meryl went to pick up her daughter so she could be formally introduced to Charlie, Tanith, and Alex.  The golden couple had been unable to visit NYC at all since Sofia was born.

“Meet Sofia Larisa Elizabeth Chmerkovskiy.”  She held her beautiful baby in her arms, glowing with pride.

“Oh, Meryl...”  Tanith put a hand to her throat.  “She’s stunning.”

Meryl gestured to Charlie to hold the baby.  He took her in her arms.  “Hello, Sofia.  I’m your Uncle Charlie.”  She smiled up at him as if on cue.  

“And this,” Tanith moved in front of him.  “Is Alex.”  Tanith kissed her baby. “You two are going to be great friends, I can feel it.”

“Are you selling our daughter into marriage already?  I thought we were waiting until her first birthday.”  Maks walked into the room and put an arm around his wife.

“Maks, she’s precious.”  Tanith turned towards him.  They hugged and Maks kissed Alex’s head.

“Okay, I want my grandbaby back!”  Cheryl said from the door to the room.  Charlie handed off the smaller of the two babies.

“We’re not going to hold her this entire trip, are we?”  Meryl whispered to her husband.

“Probably not.”  They all walked back into the kitchen for freshly baked cookies and coffee, catching up and gushing over their latest additions.

Old Charlie and Jacqui came over for dinner, and everyone had some red wine and lots of laughs, reminiscing about simpler days.  Charlie asked Meryl if she ever thought she would marry a 6 foot 2 Russian and Tanith whispered “Fedor...”  Meryl laughed, but Maks didn’t think it was too funny.  Meryl and Maks excused themselves to put Sofia to bed in a Pack-in-Play in Meryl’s old bedroom (also where they would be sleeping), and they realized they wanted nothing more than to curl up to sleep themselves.

They went back downstairs to wish everyone goodnight, promising that they would all go ice skating, and out to dinner, and to a hockey game, and many other things before Meryl and Maks went back to New York.

Back up in her room, they both changed into comfy winter pajamas are curled up with each other in Meryl’s childhood bed.  “This feels a little illicit.”  Maks whispered into her ear, her back pressed her against him, and his arm around her waist, thumb under the hem of her shirt, rubbing against her skin.

“Hm, but our baby is in the room.”  She snuggled closer to him.

“Way to kill the mood.”

She giggled.  “Well how about we tell my parents that Sofia prefers to sleep in the home office, not in my bedroom tomorrow night.”

“That’s a good plan.”

“Is it?”  She turned to face him, kissing his jaw and tucking her head under his chin.

He kissed her head.  “A very good plan.”

“Thank you for letting my parents do this to us.”

“I knew you missed them.  Plus, I missed Charlie.”  He smiled.

“I knew that was the reason you agreed, to carry on your elicit affair.”

“Who doesn’t love Chaks?”

“And baby Alex is pretty cute.”

“All blue eyes and dimples.”

“I guess this trip won’t be so bad...”  She rubbed a hand up and down his arm.

“No, baby, it won’t.”  He kissed her head again.

She yawned.  “Goodnight, Maks.”

“Sweet dreams, Meryl.”


	3. Chapter 3

**August 2014**

From the moment she walked in the door they were a tangle of limbs.  Her suitcase and purse were left at the entryway.  Her arms went around his neck, and her feet were lifted off the ground.  He was crying.  He kept murmuring ‘love’, both unsure as to whether it was a declaration or a pet name.  All of her words were caught in her throat.  She could only hold on tighter, but he could feel what she was trying to say.

He carried her to the bedroom where, he too, became at a loss for words.  He kissed away the 15 hour plane ride, and she dug her nails into the weeks of separation.  When she finally spoke, it was because he made her, and she called out his name.  It became clear that his murmurings of love were a declaration, and when it was over, she created as little space between them as possible and made the same declaration.

They told themselves that the worst was behind them, but a nagging voice spoke the opposite.  

So they clouded their minds with more kisses and whispers and caresses.

They fell asleep contented, at least for one night.

\--

She woke up to an empty bed, and she felt her pulse quicken, incredibly nervous.  Had it all been a dream?  Was she still in Japan?  Was she still in Canton in 2010?  Had everything been a dream?

But a quick survey of her surroundings and the sound of pans being moved in the kitchen allowed her to breathe again.  She got out of bed and picked up his shirt from the floor.  She got a new pair of underwear from the drawer and put on the garments.  She made her way into the kitchen where it seemed if he had every ingredient out for a breakfast extravaganza.  He was only wearing a pair of boxers and his back was facing her.  She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his back.  “Good morning,” she whispered.

“It is now.”  He turned to face her, leaning down to kiss her.

She broke away and took in the parade of food and ingredients.  “I see you went to the store.  There is no way all of this was in my condo when you got here.”  She eyed some raspberries sitting next to the sink.

“I had time, and I was nervous."

She smiled.  “Why were you nervous?”

He kissed her again, and then spoke against her mouth.  “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Well, I was nervous too.”  She broke contact to look at her kitchen.  “Now, what can I do to help!”

“You do nothing.  Go sit down.”  He smiled.

She made a face.  “But do I get coffee?!”

“Of course you get coffee.”  He poured the steaming liquid into a mug and handed it to her.  She sat down at the bar that overlooked the kitchen.  He cracked eggs into a bowl that already had a dry mix in it.  “So, tell me about Japan.”

“Japan was... fun, I guess.  Charlie was a sad puppy the entire time.”

“And you weren’t a sad puppy the entire time?”  He whisked the mixture together.

“I was kind of a sad puppy.  He missed Tanith and I missed Jenna.”  She smiled slyly at him.

“Right, you missed Jenna.  I completely forgot that you made love to her last night and now she was making you breakfast!”  He turned on the stove top where a large pan was already set out.

“Ha-ha.  I thought missing you was a given.”  She took a sip from her mug.

“I just wanted to hear you say it.”  He sprayed the pan to grease it.

“You’re the worst.”

“But I’m yours.”  He leaned across the counter for a kiss, and she gave him her cheek.  He made a pouty face.

“That’s what you get for teasing me.”

“And what do I get for making you breakfast?”  He poured a pancake worth of batter onto the pan.

“I’ll tell you after breakfast.  I don’t want to make a mess.”

“Fair enough.”  He left the pancakes in the pan to cook while he cracked more eggs into a clean bowl.  “Cheese in your eggs?”

“Always.”

“Maks in your kitchen?”  He smiled, teasingly.

“I wish more often.”  Her voice was smaller.

He put down the bowl and came around the bar to where she was sitting, moving in between her legs.  “I know, babe.  Me too.”  

She just stared at him, fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck.  “As soon as a graduate...”

“And at this point, that’s, what, four years from now?”

She unwrapped her arms and turned away from him.  “Are you really going to get mad at me for this?”  She could tell he had gotten upset very quickly.

“I just want us to be together.”  His voice was softer now.

“I know.”  She stared at her coffee.  “And I’m trying on track to be done by Fall 2016, now.  That’s not four years.”

“It’s a long time.”  His hand was moving up and down her thigh that was closest to him.

She turned back around and pulled him closer, pressing their foreheads together.  “We’re strong.  We can do it.”

“I do love you, Meryl.”

“I love you too.”  She wrinkled her nose.  “And I think your pancakes are burning.”

He kissed her and smiled before going back into the kitchen to finish their making their breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When this chapter was posted on Tumblr, it did cause some controversy. Remember that I write what I know, and I don't know very much about motherhood at all. If something rubs you the wrong way, please let it roll off your back. xoxo

**February 2017**

It was six weeks after Sofia was born, and Meryl didn’t feel beautiful. She didn’t feel strong. She didn’t feel empowered. She felt tired and saggy and still sore. All she wanted to do was curl up with her baby and Sir Sleep. Not her husband.

He wanted her to feel beautiful. He kept trying to make advances while still being respectful. It mostly came out as awkward. He wasn’t awkward with Sofia, though. He was strong and empowered with her. He was a natural, and Meryl was sore and tired.

She stood in the kitchen, heating up a bottle and putting out dog food. She was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt. Her hair was on top of her head, and she couldn’t remember the last time she had showered. Not that it was very long ago, but all her days were blending together with lack of sleep, thanks to her baby and being a first year masters student at Columbia.

Literally two weeks after Sofia was born, she went back to school three days a week. Luckily, today was a Tuesday- no school. She could hole herself up in the UWS apartment all by herself, save Sofia and Sir Sleep. Maks was teaching when she wasn’t at school. He wasn’t trying to avoid her. Goodness no. He smothered her. The strong and empowered man wouldn’t stop trying to make her feel beautiful. It was obnoxious. But then he would snuggle their baby and he’d be perfect again.

The hormones, or something.

It was all a mess.

The timer on the bottle warmer dinged and Meryl grabbed it, picking up a maybe used burp cloth from the counter as well. She walked the two steps to the living room, and she melted. Her precious little baby, with big eyes and dark hair, was staring up at her from her little newborn baby chair. Sofia wasn’t exactly a newborn anymore, but she was still very small. Meryl leaned down to pick her up. Having her baby in her arms was the only thing that really felt good these days. She sat down on the couch and started feeding her. Her original idea was to read her assigned book about the social history of Iraqi Kurds while Sofia ate, but she just couldn’t take her eyes off her baby.

When she was done, Meryl burped her and put her down for a nap. She had just gotten semi comfortable on the couch with her assigned reading when the door to the apartment opened. In walked Maks, all smiles, as per usual. Even with just four hours of sleep every night, he looked and felt great. She was immensely jealous.

She stood up so he could kiss her, out of habit, not out of want. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

"Not today. I have a surprise for you."

"I think all of this is surprise enough." She gestured at the fact that their apartment had been taken over by baby things. Sofia hadn’t not not been planned, but she hadn’t been planned either.

"Meryl, you need a break." He held both her hands.

"I get a break every other day when I go to school."

"That’s not a break. That’s school. We’re going on a date tonight."

The smothering. “No, we’re not. We have a baby.”

"And we also have a babysitter."

Meryl felt her heart start beating faster. “She’s six weeks old! We can’t just leave her with anyone!” Meryl really didn’t want to leave her at all.

"Well, my parents aren’t just anyone."

She really wasn’t in the mood. “Maks—”

"You need a night out, and I need my wife back. You better start getting ready. We’re leaving in an hour." He was very much over her postpartum depression. He had tried trying to make her feel beautiful, giving her alone time with their baby, giving her time away from their baby, giving her time away from him, and nothing worked at all. So, he was going for what made him feel better: a nice meal and some one-on-one time. God be willing that she be willing.

She didn’t look to happy about it, but she walked back into their room, and he heard the shower turn on. He walked into the nursery and looked down at his daughter. She was sleeping peacefully, and she helped him remind himself that he had a lot to be thankful for.

—

When she had finished her shower, she blow dried her hair. It hadn’t been cut or colored or styled since Sofia was born, so she pulled it back into a low bun. She put on a pair of opaque cranberry tights and a navy sweater dress. It was not fitted at all, and she was thankful. She pulled on her Ralph Lauren riding boots and looked in the mirror. She smiled. At least she looked semi-human. She went back into the bathroom to put on a bit of makeup. Some mascara, blush, and lipstick had her feeling even more like her old self. It was a good feeling.

She grabbed her purse and a heavy coat and walked back out to the living room. Maks was sipping from a glass of red wine. He looked up when she entered, and he didn’t look away.

Meryl felt self conscious. “I hope you weren’t thinking we would go somewhere fancy.”

"Babe, you look incredible."

She smiled and took the glass of wine from him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Maks went to get it, and mama and papa Chmerkovskiy we’re let in with a flurry of kisses and hugs. They asked to see Sofia immediately, so Meryl excused herself to wake Sofia up from her nap.

She picked up her little nugget and hoped that she wouldn’t do anything unspeakable on her dress. As soon as she stepped back into the living room, Sofia left her mother’s arms. The younger parents were literally pushed out of the apartment, and they made their way down the hall to the elevator.

"Alone at last." Maks kissed his wife’s hair as he wrapped an arm around her. They went to the elevator and made their way through the lobby of their building. They walked outside, and Meryl was thankful for her heavy coat. Maks hailed a cab and they got in. He gave the driver an address.

"So, is this a surprise or a surprise surprise?" She rested her head on his shoulder, pleasantly shocked at how a bit of grooming could make her no longer feel smothered, and maybe even a little beautiful.

"You’ll have to explain the difference."

"Are you winging it?"

"Do I ever wing it?"

"Touché"

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. The cab pulled up in front of a restaurant and they got out. He led her inside. It was a Korean restaurant. They were seated, and Maks just looked at her.

"What?" She tried to look at her menu, but he kept staring.

"Do you get it yet?"

She smiled. “Get what?”

"This." He gestured around the restaurant.

"No…"

"You’re going to Peyong Chang with Charlie." He grabbed her hand over the table. "You know, for press and stuff."

She felt her face heat up. “What?”

"Three days, four if you include travel. It’s not very long, but it’s something."

"Maks, I can’t leave." But she was smiling.

"No, you can’t miss this, my little Olympic Champion."

"You make me blush. But Maks, how am I going to leave Sofia?"

"The same way you did tonight: with a kiss and a push out the door." He squeezed her hand. "I can handle it, and my mother is on speed dial."

"Are you sure about this?"

"One hundred percent."

"Oh, Maks." She stood up and leaned across the table. She stroked a hand on his cheek and kissed him. She say back down.

"You go talk about skating for three days, and we’ll call you every night."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too, babe."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter goes into darker territory, slight warning.

**Labor Day Weekend 2019**

Meryl stood in the giant living room with three year old Sofia standing quietly at her side. Maks had gone straight to the kitchen to unload groceries, knowing the necessity of feeding his family after a day of travel. He had put baby Nick in a bouncy seat and started dinner, but Meryl wanted a self given tour.

She had only seen pictures of the lake house her and her husband had purchased along with the Whites and both Cheryl and Paul and Charlie Sr. and Jacqui. Eight bedrooms, a giant wrap around porch, an expansive backyard to the lake, a private beach, and a dock all made for the vacation home of her dreams. Maks would have preferred a villa in the Mediterranean, but Meryl pushed hard for the lake house, using the fact that they already had a condo in LA, one of his cities.

She looked down at Sofia, who smiled and made grabby hands to be picked up. Meryl did so and commented on how big she was getting. She would turn four in December, but she was small for her age. “Do you want to go see the house?”

"Yes, mommy!" She clapped her hands together excitedly.

They made their way through the living room. It was definitely decorated in Tanith’s style more than Meryl’s, but she was okay with that. It was a modern-ish lake house style, lots white furniture and bright accents. Pictures of sailboats and birds hung on the walls. Each bedroom was unique, and Meryl could tell that Tanith had spent a lot of time making sure everything was just so.

They walked onto the back porch, where they could see the sun setting over the lake. Sofia rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. After a plane ride to Detroit and then a four hour drive to the house, everyone was pretty worn out.

Back inside, Maks had put Nick in a high chair and was spoon feeding him mashed up carrots while he simultaneously mixed in a red sauce with ground turkey in a sauce pan. It was all very impressive. Meryl set Sofia down and went to take over Nick’s dinner. The happy baby spit out most of what was put into his mouth, but it was adorable. As Maks was plating dinner, Meryl washed the food from Nick’s face and hands. She took him to the bedroom where they had set up the Pac in Play and put him to bed with a quick nursing and a gentle humming of Notre Dam de Paris.

She came back out to the kitchen and practically collapsed into the chair at the breakfast table where Maks had set out dinner. He strapped Sofia into her booster seat and then sat down himself. “Let’s all say what we’re thankful for.”

Even since Sofia had been able to form a sentence, Maks had loved to do this at dinner. And it was pretty adorable. Sofia went first, of course. “I’m thankful for lake house and ‘pasgetti.” She scooped a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

"Well, I’m thankful for the lake house too." Meryl went next. "And I’m thankful that we all made it her safely, and that my children are so well behaved, and that we get to see our family and friends tomorrow." The Whites and parents were all coming up some time the next day.

"I’m thankful for all of those things, as well." He smiled. "Also, for my beautiful wife, who looks so beautiful, even though she is exhausted with travel and really wants a shower."

Meryl smiled over her water glass while Sofia looked slightly confused. She decided to change the subject. “Can I have dessert?”

Maks got up immediately. “There are Rice Crispy Treats in the diaper bag!” Meryl interjected as Maks went in search for something. She looked at her daughter’s plate and divided her remaining dinner into two sections. “But you need to eat one of these first.”

"Okay, mommy." She dug in once more.

They were able to put Sofia to bed quietly and quickly. Meryl then took her long awaited shower and started unpacking while Maks took his. As soon as pajamas were pulled out of the suitcase, she put them on and climbed into bed. She was dozing off when Maks climbed in. He pulled her back against him, spreading a hand under her shirt across her stomach. He whispered into her hair, “How are you feeling?”

She turned towards him and nuzzled into his chest. “Good enough. Nothing will be as bad as that first time around.”

"That was pretty horrible. Third time’s a charm, maybe?"

"Hm, I hope so."

It was a complete accident. They were supposed to be done after two, but the universe had other plans.

Maks let his thumb trace her flat stomach. “I love you.” He spoke to them both.

—

The Whites arrived with much fan fair, none of the children remembered anyone, but Meryl almost cried upon seeing everyone. It had been almost a year since they had seen each other’s families. Alex was four and blond and adorable, and Katie was two and all of those things. Tanith fell in love with Nick, and Charlie was shocked at how much Sofia looked like the perfect combination of Maks and Meryl, even at age three.

They ate a lunch of cold cut sandwiches and fruit salad. Then it was nap time. The adults sat on the back porch to catch up peacefully until hey heard Nick crying on the baby monitor. He ended up waking everyone else, so they all got into swimsuits and slathered on sunscreen and made their way down to the lake.

The grandparents arrived, together, of course, while they were down. They received wet hugs and began making dinner. Meryl was in the water with Sofia and Alex while Maks played with Katie on the beach. Charlie and Tanith sat in the same beach chair, lazily whispering nothings to each other. Meryl looked at her husband and lightly put a hand on her stomach. He smiled back. It seemed to say “you were right, this is better than a villa in the Mediterranean.”

Everyone was worn out and sun soaked by the time it was dark outside. It was a good feeling.

—

The next day, the grandparents stayed home during nap time with Nick and Katie, while the parents took Alex and Sofia out on their rented pontoon boat (Charlie was getting his own for Christmas, he just didn’t know it yet). The fathers were in the back, Charlie driving, both with beers in hand. Sofia was leaning up against her father, fighting sleep.

Meryl and Tanith were sitting in the front and in the sun with Alex, who was practically leaning over the side to get a better view. “He wants to be a hockey player.” Tanith was holding on to the strap of Alex’s life jacket, keeping him from falling out of the boat.

"A hockey player? I pegged that pretty boy for an ice dancer." Meryl smiled.

"We’re going to work on it." Since her retirement and marriage, Tanith had become a full time coach. She loved it. Charlie had finished his law degree and was working at a firm in Detroit. He commuted from the suburbs every day. It was very all-American. "What about Sofia?"

"Maks doesn’t like to talk about her future." She gave her husband a look. "He’s all too ready to dream about grown up Nick, but I think he wants her to stay this size forever. He’s wrapped around her little finger."

"Honestly, I don’t blame him. She’s beautiful already, Meryl. I just hope she’s not a trouble maker."

"That’s probably Maks’s worry as well. I’m praying she’ll be really awkward as a teenager like I was."

Even from the front of the boat they could both see that Sofia’s dark eyelashes were casting shadows on her cheeks. It was impossible not to love her.

—

Meryl took a nap when they got home. Maks told everyone she wasn’t feeling too well, and everyone who had ever been pregnant gave him a look. They were waiting to officially announce until after the first trimester, but they weren’t denying either.

Cheryl sneaked into their room when she knew Maks wasn’t there. “That was fast.” She climbed into bed with her daughter.

"I know. Nick is only eight months old."

"So, when he was around six months?"

"Yeah, it wasn’t really supposed to happen."

"As long as you are happy."

"I’m so happy, mom."

"I can tell."

Meryl was brushing her teeth that night when she felt the sharp twist in her lower abdomen.

—

It all happened without much fan fair. She called for Maks, and she was bleeding. They went to the hospital, but neither spoke until they got there. Neither cried until the doctor told them they had lost the pregnancy.

And that it would have been another little girl.

She slept, going home after dinner time the next day. They flew home that next morning. She held Nick on her lap the entire time, and Maks never let go of Sofia. They would tell them some day, but not today.

When they got home, Meryl put all of her maternity clothes in a box to donate, and Maks deleted the template for a pregnancy announcement he had saved on his laptop.

They got into bed, and he put a hand on her stomach. “I love you.” He spoke to both of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**October 2015**

She slammed the door to her apartment shut behind her, falling to the floor against it and putting her head in her hands.  It was all hisfault that that song make her react like this.  He chose it for their first dance, because he kept telling her that that freestyle might as well have been their first dance, that there was no one else after that.  

It’s not that she couldn’t do the long distance thing.  They had been doing the long distance thing for over a year now.  But now she had those  _fucking rings_ on her finger to remind her at all times that she was doing the long distance thing.

It was all his idea.  “The long distance will be more bearable if we’re married,” he kept saying.

So they got married.  It was a beautiful ceremony in California, followed by a stunning two weeks in Tuscany, and then an entire month blissfully living with each other in LA, only to be separated once her school year started.  Her last school year of long distance.

Fucking long distance.

So when she was getting coffee and reading about gender roles in the 12th century Ottoman Empire that fucking song came on, and it was her own personal apocalypse.  She quietly left, got into her car, and was now crying at the door to her apartment.

And it was all his fault.

She hadn’t seen him in three weeks, and it had only been a 48 hour visit, mostly of him watching her study.  Not exactly fun newlywed times.  He tried to put a text book in the washing machine, but she had yelled at him that if she fails this semester, it’s going to be four more months of long distance.  The tension was high, and it had only been two months of being apart.  They still had six to go.

Meryl wiped her eyes and looked up at her depressingly bare apartment.  Maks had wanted to decorate, but she didn’t want it to seem permanent.  She realized she should have caved for him now.  She got up and put her book bag on the counter with a surge of purpose.  She was Meryl Elizabeth Davis-Chmerkovskiy, almost college graduate, and she was going to do something about her situation.

“Hello, Meryl.”  He was using his sexy voice.

“No phone sex right now.  How soon can you get out here?”  Getting right to the point was good, right?

“I can be there by tomorrow morning.”

She smiled at the fact that he knew off the top of his head.  “Please do.”

“I’m booking the flight now.”

“Text me before you take off, and I’ll see you in baggage claim.  I love you.”  The tears were back.

“I love you too.  Thanks for calling.”

“Never be afraid to just show up here, please.”

“I love you, Meryl.”

“I love you, Maks.”

—

She was wearing hammer pants a pullover hoodie.  Just fuck it.  She literally jumped into his arms.  Just fuck it all.

He kissed her and then held her, just breathing it all in.  “You look like you didn’t sleep last night,” he murmured into her hair.

“The same goes for you.”

On the way back to Ann Arbor, he drove just so he could hold her hand that had the rings on it.  Neither spoke.  Just having him there made Meryl want to catch up on all the sleep she’d been missing, but she couldn’t.  When they were pulling into her spot, she finally spoke.  “Hey, Maks?”

“Yes, love?”

“Will you decorate my apartment.”

“Hm?”

“I just… I need more of you there.”

He kissed her hand.  “I would be my pleasure.”

They got out of the car and brought his things into the apartment.  She just stared at him for a few minutes in her kitchen.  She didn’t want to jump on him, not yet.  She was tired and still sad for some reason.  Maybe because she knew he could be gone when the weekend was over?  It was sad.  “Do you want to take a shower?”  That would help the tired part.

He looped an arm around her waist and kissed her in response.  Okay, so maybe she  _did_ want to jump on him.  At first it was slow and purposeful, but it quickly turned into “fuck, we haven’t fucked in three weeks, and I miss you like fucking crazy” kind of sex.  Frantic.   _Hot_.  Meryl had forgotten just how hot her husband was.   _Husband_.  That was hot.

After their shower, they sat on her bed in towels, playing with each other’s hands.  “We could go out for lunch.”  He had to know what they were going to do that day before he got dressed again.

“I’m so sick of Ann Arbor food.”  She was sick of a lot of things these days.

“We could go to a furniture store.  Get started on this apartment.”

“I’m not really in the mood to see other people.”

“Meryl!”

“Maks, just fuck me again, merciful fuck!”  She grabbed his face and started kissing him.  He responded immediately.

“My wife has developed such a potty mouth,” he spoke into her lips.

“That’s what happens when you’re not there to curse for me.”

He laid her down on the bed, letting the towel fall off.  “What else do you do on your own, when I’m not there?”  One of his hands was stroking up and down the inside of her thigh.

Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled slightly where her fingers were laced in his hair.  “Well, I don’t decorate my apartment, that’s for damn sure.”

“Teasing will get you nowhere.” Meanwhile his fingers were teasing her elsewhere.

“As you already suggested,” her breath was getting shorter.  “I can fly solo.”

He leaned down and flicked his tongue against her earlobe.  “But you don’t want to.”  His voice was sex.

_No, I do not._

…

They did, eventually, make it to a furniture store, where Maks picked up the home-y-est things he could find.  Lots of rugs for her cold floors and lots of afghans for her too-clean furniture.  Some scented candles wouldn’t hurt either.  And there were some pretty cute throw pillows.

They also made it to the grocery store, where some obvious freshman in Chi-O T-shirts stared at them in the produce section.  Yes, it’s the OGMC Meryl Davis and her Russian dancer husband, both looking sleep deprived, but at least well sexed, picking out the best spinach to saute.  Hold the applause.

They cooked dinner to high energy music, doing that signature jumping dance routine half the time.  When Meryl corked open a bottle of red, she noticed that the nagging sadness hadn’t really gone away, despite her multiple orgasms and the scented candles.  

And the rest of the weekend felt like that.  The both of them holding on a little tighter than necessary, knowing it would all slip away until the next time either of them needed the other so badly they demanded their presence.  

They would spend Thanksgiving with the Davis’s.

Christmas/Hanukkah with the Chmerkovskiy’s.

Martin Luther King Day?  Lord knows.

Spring break?

Would Maks even get a spring break?

Would they survive?

All of this  _fucking_ long distance?

She was crying at the airport, but he seemed to be faring better.  It was because he had a secret.

“I’m moving in in January.”

“The fuck?!”

“Language!”

“I don’t fucking care!”

Neither did he.

_January._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!


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